New Year Celebrations

New Year Celebrations

Introduction People around the world celebrate the New Year at different times of the year. They also celebrate the New Year in many different ways. Some people celebrate with parties. Other people have traditions that might seem strange, such as wearing yellow underwear. Many people make New Year resolutions. A resolution is a promise to end a bad habit or begin a good one. It can be anything from cutting back on junk food to being a better friend.

North America In New York City, around a million people come together to count down the seconds before midnight. At midnight, the crowds cheer and celebrate. Many cities set off fireworks at midnight.

Do You Know? In the southern United States, people eat a dish of rice and black-eyed peas called Hoppin' John. Some believe that if you enjoy simple foods on New Year's Day, you might do well the rest of the year. In the United States, special football games are played on New Year's Day. Many places have New Year's Day parades. In Pennsylvania, thousands of people dress up in fancy costumes for a special parade.

Central and South America It's good luck to eat twelve grapes on New Year's Eve in Central and South America. Each grape stands for one month of the coming year. In many countries, the color of your clothes on New Year's Eve is important. In many places, people wear brand-new yellow underwear. Because yellow is the color of gold, people hope they'll get rich.

Another New Year's tradition in Central and South America is to make figures. At midnight, people set them on fire in the streets.